Remote computing allows a user to control a host computer from a remote client device. A “remote” client device is a device which does not have physical access to the host computer, but communicates with the host computer via a transmission medium such as a network. In remote computing, the client device accepts input on behalf of the host computer, such as mouse movement or key presses, and displays what the host computer is displaying.
One method of displaying content of a host computer on a remote client device involves transmitting bitmap images of the screen of the host computer to the remote client device. This process is called “bitmap remoting”. It is common to update the client display as quickly as possible, in order to keep the client display current with the host display. One common method of speeding up bitmap remoting includes compressing images before sending them to reduce their size.